Beyond the Southern Borders
by darthrodrick
Summary: Sequel to Love Me Southern Roots.
1. Downfall

Thomas and Rebecca have been together for 20 years. Over the course of 2 decades, the Southern pair have been through everything easy and difficult, happy and sad. In this particular winter season, Sodor is expected to have a lot of tourists coming for Christmas. Passengers bustling about the cities and countryside across the island, and cargo shipments going back and forth from the various ports to anywhere in Europe. Unfortunately this year, this was not the case. After TFC's retirement in 2014, the holiday peak season on Sodor was never the same. When the new controller, Mr. Wilkins took over, he never took into consideration the rich past of Sodor's history into managing the railway. As a result, tourists stopped visiting the island since there was no snowfall this year, businesses slowed down due to lack of clients and the public morale of the locals diminished; some left the island to search for greener pastures. The only engines remaining are the original steam team minus Henry, Nia, Rebecca, Mavis, Diesel, Eric and Rosie.

One night at Knapford sheds, Thomas, Rebecca, Donald, Nia, Mavis, and Percy came together to discuss their situation.

"Sodor has never been the same without TFC running the helm" Donald started.

"Yeah, and now that Henry's left, we don't have an express freight engine anymore" Mavis added.

"It's all coming to an end. Sodor is in its downfall" Nia sighed.

Everyone else sighed in agreement; no one had an idea how to solve this problem. There are only two possible ways to their dilemma: 1. They try to talk some sense into Mr. Wilkins about running the railway or 2. Leave Sodor in search for greener pastures.

"I think leaving Sodor might be our best shot at getting over this shit" Percy added.

"Leave?! Are you nuts?" Mavis retorted, "I lived here more than 40 years and I ain't leaving Sodor"

"Count me in Mavis" Thomas chimed.

"Aye! Me too" Donald also agreed.

Nia and Rebecca, despite being on Sodor for the past 2 decades, were silent at the elder engines comments. After everyone had cooled down, they settled in for the night, save for Thomas and Rebecca.

"Are you sure you don't want us to leave?" the Bulleid engine eyed Thomas.

"You know Becca" Thomas gulped, "I'm actually having second thoughts on whether or not we should leave Sodor for good"

"This shithole of a controller is just too much for me to handle!" Rebecca ranted, trying not to wake the others up.

"Me too love, we'll see how it goes in the next few days. When you really want to leave, I'll be right beside you in doing so" Thomas declared, giving his girlfriend a kiss in the lips.

Over the next few days, the remaining engines did about their usual jobs. It's already December, and the engines expect to have loads of decorations and people roaming about the stations, but that wasn't the case. Rebecca pulled in at Barrow in Furness feeling more down than usual; she saw the station glimmering with lights and Christmas decorations.

_When will I ever see Sodor as bright and festive as before? _She sadly thought.

The station master came over to greet her. "Hi Rebecca!" Mario greeted the West Country engine.

"Hello Mario" she sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Sodor hasn't had much of that Christmas spirit its known for" Rebecca whispered.

"I'm not surprised dear" Mario bluntly replied.

"How do you mean?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow.

"You see, Horace Wilkins has always been a public enemy of the railways. I know because he and I used to work together" Mario explained, "I don't know how he became competent enough to be a controller, but that imbecile doesn't even give shit about the railway he's assigned to"

"Yeah, I did notice that" the Bulleid engine agreed.

"But you wanna here the real kicker?" Mario added.

"Please tell"

"The only reason he signed up for that job is to gain fortune from it, nothing else" he admitted.

"So he just considers us as his assets?" Rebecca asked, now a bit cross. Mario simply nodded. The yellow engine left him without saying another word.

As Rebecca was having a refuel of coal and water, she can't help but think of Mario's story of her controller. "I think I don't wanna be on Sodor anymore" she declared.

"Is it because of Wilkins?" Alex asked.

"Didn't you hear Mario's story, Alex?" Rebecca retorted.

"Of course I heard him!" her driver shot back, "He does have a point though. But what about Thomas?"

"I'll talk to him later in the sheds" the yellow engine sighed.

Later that evening at Knapford, Rebecca told the E2 tank engine about the predicament they have with their current controller.

"That confounded son of a bitch!" Thomas ranted, "How could he even be a railway man?"

"I don't know love, but I know that I want to leave ASAP" Rebecca added.

"Are you sure about that?" Thomas raised his eyebrow.

"Tommy, I fell in love with Sodor. I fell in love with the environment here and I fell in love with you" Rebecca smiled, then pouted, "But this is not the Sodor I fell for back in 95. I know it's hard to leave your home behind but it's for the best of us"

Thomas started to tear up, "B..but Becca, I…I don't know if I could do it"

"I'll be right here every step of the way, my love" the West Country engine cooed.

The tank engine nuzzled Rebecca's face and whispered, "If you want to leave, I'll be here. We can do it later at midnight" The two engines sadly went to sleep, thinking how they'd execute their escape.

It's 1am and Thomas and Rebecca were a bit nervous in their undertaking. They left their sheds unnoticed and headed towards the docks at Brendam.

"Are you sure we're really leaving?" Thomas eyed his girlfriend.

"If we don't leave before Sodor reaches its demise, I'm better off be scrapped" Rebecca blurted.

"Don't say that!" the blue tank engine wailed.

"Shhh!" Rebecca hissed, as she didn't want to wake the dock engines up; if they do, they'll be alarmed of their escape. The only one awake was Carly, who was more than eager to help them out.

"The ship would arrive shortly and I can easily load you both!" she smiled down at the pair. After 40 minutes, the freighter arrived and Carly started to load Thomas and Rebecca, with the former going in first.

"Where's this heading?" Thomas asked.

"Not sure" Carly answered as she was lifting Rebecca, "But the crew told me they're based in the US east coast"

"As long as it's not in Britain, we're good" Rebecca added as her tender had been placed on the ship's deck. After a pre-sail inspection, the freighter left at 3:30am heading into unknown waters. Rebecca looked at the coastline, slowly fading below the horizon.

"It's time for a new chapter, a new life in a new place" she sighed.


	2. Into the Unknown

The freighter is now deep within the Atlantic ocean and Rebecca is rather nervous at this undertaking she and Thomas took.

"I'm nervous Tommy" Rebecca sighed, "I've always heard nice things about the USA but I'm still not confident"

"I've been there once, with James, Gordon, and Mavis" Thomas perked up. "That's how we met Rosie!"

In the duration of the trip, which took almost 2 weeks, Thomas and Rebecca started to get bored and sick. They don't know where exactly in the US they're heading. Day in and day out, they looked at the vast ocean surrounding them on all sides. When the ship finally arrived, the Southern couple were amazed by the new environment: high rise skyscrapers poking out, ships busy unloading cargo, and the sight of a majestic green statue in the middle of the harbor entrance. As Rebecca was being lifted by the gantry crane, she saw the statue once again.

"Tommy, what's that statue over there?" she puffed.

"That my love is the Statue of Liberty" Thomas replied, "Which means were in New York"

The blue tank engine was taken aback by his statement, "Wait, WE'RE IN NEW YORK?!" he gasped.

"Yes you are, my dear engine" one of the port foremen answered. "Welcome to New York City Harbor!"

After Thomas and Rebecca have been placed on the rails adjacent to the pier, they puffed towards the nearest shed they could find. The harbor was filled with empty intermodal container trains, pulled by large diesel electric locomotives. Most of them are faceless, much to Thomas' dismay.

"How in hell are we gonna leave this shit maze of a port?!" he ranted.

"Calm down my blue tankie" Rebecca said, calming Thomas down.

When they reached a T-junction, Thomas didn't notice the incoming Union Pacific AC4400CW on his left-hand side.

"Watch out!" the diesel blew her horn, as she applied her brakes.

Thomas and Rebecca locked on their brakes until they stopped; they gasped at the size of the diesel that nearly hit them: painted yellow with 'UNION PACIFIC' printed on its engine casing and wears the number 9635.

"Watch where you're going!" the diesel retorted.

"Sorry" Rebecca replied, "We're not from here. We came from Sodor"

"Oh I'm sorry to be rude" she sighed, then introduced herself. "I'm Rachelle the Union Pacific AC4400CW diesel electric locomotive"

Thomas smiled, "I'm Thomas, this is Rebecca"

"Hello Rachelle, nice to meet you!" Rebecca perked up.

"Likewise" Rachelle replied, "What brings you to the Big Apple?"

"It's quite a long story Rachelle" Thomas said.

"We can chat by the sheds, I ain't leaving til midnight!" Rachelle suggested as she led the Southern couple to her sheds.

"So what's this long story of why you're here?" the GE locomotive inquired. Thomas and Rebecca looked at each other, pointing who'd tell the story.

"Well" Rebecca finally spoke up, "Tommy and I live on an island called Sodor, off the north west coast of Britain. Everyone was friendly and the sceneries, oh I just fell in love with. But then, our controller got replaced by a more arrogant, incompetent one after her retired. Things on Sodor were never the same, heck no one even bothered to decorate the stations for Christmas!" she finished.

Rachelle was gob smacked at the Bulleid engine's story. "I'm so sorry for you two" she sighed.

"We ain't got an idea to restore the place back to its former glory" Thomas added. There was a moment of silence until Rachelle changed the topic.

"Are you two in a relationship or something?" Thomas and Rebecca both looked at each other and blushed.

"I'll take that as a yes, then" the yellow diesel replied.

"We've been a couple for 20 years now" Rebecca said.

"Wow that's cool!" Rachelle beamed, then pouted. "I wish I'd have a relationship as long as yours, if not longer"

"Don't you have a special engine to share your love with?" Thomas inquired.

"I used to" Rachelle said, tears glistening on her eyes. "We only lasted a few months until he got destroyed in a tanker accident"

"When did it happen?" Rebecca added.

"3 years ago. I still can't accept his fate like that!" the yellow diesel said before bursting into tears. Thomas and Rebecca felt bad.

"I'm sorry Rachelle" the blue tank engine said.

"It's okay Thomas" Rachelle sniffed, "I can find that right engine for me soon"

Once again, there was a long silence that echoed the sheds until Rachelle spoke up. "Where are you two gonna spend Christmas?"

"Actually, we don't know" Thomas replied.

"If you like, you two can come with me later!" the UP diesel suggested.

"Where are you heading?" Rebecca chimed in.

"Mexico City" Rachelle added. "The trip takes about 5 days"

"So that means you'll arrive on Christmas eve?" Thomas inquired. Rachelle nodded.

"I'll spend Christmas there! The festivals there during the holidays are so colorful and energetic!" she added.

"I wanna go there too!" Thomas gleamed.

"Are you sure love?" Rebecca was concerned, "We don't even know the way!"

Rachelle chuckled, "I'll be the head end unit so don't worry!"

"You're departure is at midnight right?" Thomas added.

The GE engine nodded, "Why don't I leave you two to decide while I have a washdown okay?" she announced, then left the sheds.

"Should we go with her?" Rebecca eyed her boyfriend.

"Well, if we're gonna stay here and do nothing, I'd rather have us go somewhere" Thomas replied bluntly.

"You have a point Tommy" the West Country engine added, "Still, on the rails again after barely a day arriving here?"

Thomas gave Rebecca a peck on her cheek, "As long as you're with me, it's my duty to please you"

Rebecca blushed at this; she felt so much love all around herself. "I love you Tommy, I really do" she said, giving Thomas a nuzzle.

After an hour, Rachelle returned. "Have you two decided on what to do?"

"Yup. We're coming with you!" Rebecca smiled.

The GE locomotive jumped with glee, causing the Southern couple to be a bit concerned. "YAY! I'm so excited!" she bounced.

"Wouldn't she fall off the rails doing that?" Thomas whispered at Rebecca.

The West Country engine rolled her eyes, "I think she's used to it"

Rachelle turned to Rebecca, "You two could top up your coal and water near bay 6. After y'all done, head back here so that you'll be fitted with knuckle couplers" Rebecca nodded and she and Thomas set off for the hopper.

After their top up, Rachelle's driver Kevin directed Thomas and Rebecca towards the maintenance shed. There they'd be fitted with knuckle couplers replacing their chain-link couplers; their buffers still remain. It's already 6pm when they're finally ready to settle for the night. Rebecca looked at disbelief at her new knuckle.

"It looks like a fist, love" she told Thomas.

"Yes, yes it does" he agreed, then turned to Rachelle, "How do you use these anyway?"

"It's simple. You just back into the front of the train until you hear a bang. Your driver would lock the coupling with a pin they'll pull from the front of the freight car" she explained.

The trio went back towards their sheds to take a nap before their trip. Rachelle decided to get to know more about the couple beside her. "So tell me, how did you two became a couple?"

Rebecca blushed, "Oh honey, I'm glad you asked"

The West Country engine told the GE diesel about her firsts with Thomas and everything in between. Long story short, Rachelle can't help fangirling whenever Rebecca makes her boyfriend blush hard.

"That was a great love story you two have" Rachelle commented and then yawned, "Good night lover steamies!"

"Good night!" Thomas and Rebecca said in unison and with that, the three engines went to sleep, excited for their cross-country trip the following dusk.


	3. Transcontinental

The following dusk at 3am, Rachelle's train had already been assembled. It was a double-stack intermodal with 85 cars, loaded with electronics, perishable goods, and chemical tankers. Rachelle would be the head end unit, followed by Thomas and Rebecca. They'll also be assisted by two faceless helper SD70ACes at the back of the train. Marty and Alex were given radios for communication. After a final pre-trip inspection, the dispatcher cleared UP intermodal S355 out of New York intermodal terminal.

"UP South 355, cleared for departure on track 5" the dispatcher said on the radio.

"10-4 South 355" Kevin replied.

Rachelle blew her horn and sounded her bell, "All right here we go!"

"Get ready Becca, we're about to go on a journey of a lifetime" Thomas whispered to his girlfriend. The two steamers pumped their pistons as Rachelle released her brakes and rolled her wheels.

The trio made nice time along the line; the Southern couple were amazed at the new environment of US railways As they passed by New Jersey, Rebecca looked in awe of the distant city skyline of Newark.

"Wow! The views here are much bigger than those on Sodor!" she giggled.

"Here in America, bigger is better" Rachelle chuckled. They were nearing a grade crossing in which the UP diesel blew her horn long then short.

"Why do you blow your horn on crossings?" Thomas asked, "Back on Sodor, there are times that road vehicles have the right of way and we're forced to stop"

Rachelle can't help but giggle, "This is standard protocol not just for Union Pacific, but on all North American railroads. Also, trains ALWAYS have priority over cars, since we freight diesels pull mile long trains weighing upwards of 10,000 tons. I mean, it takes me a half mile to fully stop when I'm pulling these intermodals" she said.

"Don't you pull open top trucks or something like that?" Rebecca piped.

"No Rebecca. We often pull hopper cars, tankers, flatbeds, and well cars like these we're pulling" the GE diesel added.

Until the morning, Rachelle told her new friends about her life in America and what's it like working for the largest US railroad. After several hours of uneventful journey, the train made its first crew change stop at Norfolk yards. The two SD70 helpers at the back uncoupled from the train, replaced by a single CSX AC6000CW named Martin. The blue diesel went beside Rachelle to have a quick chat.

"Hi Rachelle!" Martin greeted, then looked at the two steamers behind her, "I see you brought some visitors eh?"

"No they aren't visitors. They're actually travelling with me" Rachelle replied.

Martin looked at the steamie pair in disgust, "How can you two pull a mile long train when you two can't even provide half of Rachelle's horsepower?"

Thomas rolled his eyes, "Oh great. Another diesel thinking us steamies are inferior to them" Martin revved his engine and headed towards the rear of the train.

"Sorry about him" Rachelle apologized, "He's not used to steamies in this part of the line"

"I can obviously tell" Rebecca chimed. "But don't worry, we're used to those engines"

"How far is he gonna be with us?" Thomas added. "Up until Atlanta, a 9 hour straight run from here" the AC44 answered. Before they left, Rebecca was uncoupled from the first well car to have a 90ton coal hopper and a 120,000L water tanker riding in between her tender and the well car. This was for the couple's fuel supply. A system of pipes were connected to their water tanks; as for the coal, chutes were installed underneath their coal tenders.

"Okay we're good!" Thomas said, blowing his whistle. At 12:30pm, Rachelle blew her horn and set off towards Atlanta.

Once they reached up to maximum rated speed of 75mph, Rebecca felt a bit grumpy of the low speed.

"We ain't going fast enough love" she whispered to Thomas.

"Come now, we're just following standard laws here" he retorted.

"But I wanna go fast and stretch my wheels!" the West Country engine wailed.

"Then uncouple from this fucking train and do as you wish!" Thomas raised his voice.

"Fine! I will uncouple once we reach Atlanta" Rebecca fumed, "I don't need your stupid opinions on telling me what to do or not to do!"

Rachelle overheard their conversation but decided not to break into their fight. _Couples. Fighting is always common, but it'll cool down eventually._ She thought. Meanwhile at the back of the train, Martin was having problems with his alternator, causing him to not run at full power.

"Why did my alternator had to be in a fritz here?" he groaned. Before his driver could answer, the CSX diesel heard a faint sound of steamie whistles from the head end. _Huh. Something must be up, I wonder what?_ He thought.

Back at the head end, Rachelle's new driver Tony overheard a problem up ahead on the radio. "UP South 355, reduce speed to 40 at signal 99402, past milepost 620" the dispatcher said.

"What's up ahead?" Tony asked.

"Slight derailment on milepost 619. Hopper cars jumped off the tracks from CSX Q778" dispatch replied.

"How long would it be cleared?"

"About 6 hours, but the westbound track is clear, just maintain 40 at that area. How far are you from 620?"

"2 miles, reducing now to 60mph" Tony replied, reducing the speed of the train.

"What did dispatch report?" Rachelle inquired.

"Derailment. But we won't be siding. Our track is clear" Tony answered.

The UP diesel turned to Thomas and Rebecca, who were still arguing over some petty problem. "Heads up guys. We're slowing down, gonna pass a derailed train"

"Oh okay. Thanks Rachelle" Rebecca acknowledged.

"Oh so now you're gonna be miss sweetie twinkie again after your rant?" Thomas frowned.

"SHUT UP THOMAS!" Rebecca yelled, causing Rachelle to startle. _If this shit keeps up, Lord save me!_ She thought. The wear on their wheels is starting to show; as Thomas and Rebecca have already traveled long distances they're not used to back on Sodor, they're feeling in pain and therefore more prone to getting cranky over the simplest things. Rachelle realized this but she kept it to herself.

Halfway towards Atlanta, as UP S355 passed by Charlotte, NC, Thomas fell asleep while Rebecca was still awake. Despite the former being knocked out, his fire was still running and maintaining the 75mph speed. Rebecca saw this as a chance to tell Rachelle about their 'fight'.

"So what's this shit you're in a tizzy about?" the UP diesel asked.

"He and I got into an argument that I wanted to travel faster than what we're going now. Then he said we're just following rules, then I exploded saying that he's too tight on the things I want"

"You two are just not used to travelling this far. You're both knackered" Rachelle replied.

"Too right. My wheels are aching from all this nonstop movement" Rebecca sighed.

"Don't worry, when we reach Atlanta, I'll have you two get your wheels checked" the GE engine smiled.

"Thank you Rachelle, you really are a nice diesel" the Bulleid blushed.

"Nah. I'm just used to dealing with couples like you" Rachelle smirked. She blew her horn as they passed by a cross junction, thundering down with 7,000 tons of train behind her.


	4. Keep Distance

_**Time check: 9:40pm EST December 21**__  
_  
Day 2 of their cross country journey and Thomas, Rebecca and Rachelle were idling at Atlanta goods yard. While the UP AC44 was refueling, Thomas and Rebecca were still at each other's throats, much to her disappointment. "Why don't you two stop that nonsense fight of yours" she interrupted.

"I will stop by leaving Thomas" Rebecca growled.

"Fine!" Thomas snorted, "Go wherever you wish, and if you ever get lost, don't come running your sorry tender to me for help!"

"FINE I WILL!" Rebecca declared. She uncoupled from the tender cars and went out of the yards.

"Are you sure she'll be alright?" Rachelle felt concerned.

"She'll return. I'll be at the other works then when she decides to be behind you, I'll be at the back engine" Thomas declared.

He wanted to stay away from Rebecca for now but he also doesn't want her to wander off. He went to the works on the other side of the yard to have a tender attached to his bunker and also have his wheels fixed. After Rebecca had her wheels fixed, Thomas was chatting with Rachelle about their love story once again.

"….and then I took her to this siding, when a mistletoe appeared out of nowhere!" Thomas said.

"I assume you two kissed?" Rachelle asked, giggling.

"Yeah. It felt good, and she felt the same too!" the blue tank engine told. This made Rebecca, who was watching from afar, blushing ever so hard. Although she was still mad at him for his abrasive comments, she can't help herself from not being mad at him for too long. _I'm supposed to be mad at him, but why am I feeling so flustered? It's like the day before I told him my feelings. _She thought. She puffed in front of the two engines and Thomas started to reverse to the back of the train.

"I'll be at the back if you need anything" he announced. Rachelle nodded in reply.

Rebecca felt bad, she also said some things that she rarely ever uses on her boyfriend.

"How are you feeling Rebecca?" Rachelle interrupted.

"My wheels are fine. The same can't be said for me though" the West Country engine pouted.

"Let me guess, it's about Thomas again?" Rachelle asked. Rebecca simply nodded.

"He did the smart thing and distanced himself from you. He told me that he just wanted some space and he'll approach you once we reach Fort Worth" the AC44 smiled.

"How long till we get there?" Rebecca asked.

"About 15 hours, if conditions are fine" Rachelle replied, "He'll be in good company. My sisters are the helper engines tonight"

"Sisters?" Rebecca looked at the UP diesel, confused. The latter didn't say a word but Rebecca was feeling rather uneasy with two diesels being Thomas' company at the back.

At the back, Thomas was still fuming over what Rebecca said to him earlier. "If you don't wanna hear anything from me, we might as well break up" he muttered to himself. His thoughts suddenly disappeared when two new helper engines coupled up to him. Both are Union Pacific GE C45AC/CTE locomotives, one of which was non-faceless.

"Hello there little steamie!" the non-faceless diesel greeted, "I'm Raven, what's yours?"

Thomas was a bit surprised at the new helper. "Thomas. Nice to meet you Raven" he greeted the GEVO behind him.

"Rachelle told me earlier about your fight. What was it about?" Raven asked.

Thomas blushed in embarrassment, "W..why did Rachelle tell you?"

"She's just concerned about you two" Raven replied, "And yes, I know you have a girlfriend and she's with Rachelle at the head end"

The blue E2 froze at Raven's comment. "I…see" he groaned.

Raven chuckled, "Don't worry Thomas, I'm not that type of girl who'd steal some girl's boyfriend" After a few words, UP S355 was cleared to leave once again heading towards their next stop: Jackson, Mississippi.

The train passed through heavily populated areas where they have to pass through over 100 level crossings, watching out for rail-jumpers and stuck semi-trucks. Rachelle had to curtail her speed to only 30mph in these areas, much to Rebecca's annoyance.

"Why are there so many crossings?" she ranted.

"We're passing by a suburb" Rachelle replied, "There's more of this to come on this stretch of track"

"Well that's just great. Now I'll never be able to sprint up to 100 here!" the Bulleid engine wailed. Rachelle suddenly realized the root of the couple's altercation.

"So you two fought over just because you wanna go faster?" she asked. Rebecca nodded in embarrassment.

"Well there is a 25 mile straight stretch of track just past this town. I may not reach 100mph, but I assume that you can?" Rachelle suggested.

The yellow streamlined steamer gleamed at this. "Yes please" she begged.

She then looked at the buildings decorated with Christmas lights and garnishes. _I wish Sodor looked just like this, but there's little hope for that now. _She sighed. Meanwhile at the back, Raven was giving Thomas some advice on how to reconcile with Rebecca once they've arrived at Fort Worth.

"You still have about 15 hours to sort this out" she said. "That's still a lot of time"

"Yeah, but how do you think she'll respond?" Thomas worried.

"Just bring up something that reminds you two of the happy times you've had!" Raven replied.

Thomas sighed at this, "The happy times that we've had were long gone Raven. Our home had become glum and lifeless after our controller retired"

"I understand that Thomas. So you're saying you want to go home to Sodor?"

"I'm not sure" the blue engine pouted. "Maybe that horrible controller is still reigning over the railway there and I don't want me and Rebecca to see him again"

After passing the various suburbs, the train approached a long straight stretch of track that anyone can speed up on, as the maximum limit here is 100mph. Rachelle encouraged Rebecca to take off,

"Alright here it is! Let it rip Rebecca!"

Rebecca puffed her drive rods faster and faster until her driver said they're going 100. Despite rated for only 75mph max speed, Rachelle revved her 7FDL V16 engine, releasing 4400 hp onto her traction motors.

"That's it! We're at 100!" Rachelle squealed.

Rebecca had never felt happier, "Yay! This is what I was built for, speed and power!" At the back, Thomas felt a sudden surge in his wheels.

"Why are we going so fast?" he asked.

"We're at 100 now Thomas" Marty replied.

"WHAT! HOW IN HELL?!" Thomas ranted.

"From what my driver told me, Rebecca's the reason we're at 100" Raven chimed in. Thomas let out a 'no wonder' look on his face. _Well at least she got what she wants. _He thought to himself. _Now I hope I get what I want and that is to make amends with her._ UP S355 rocketed past the straight track in just 10 minutes, which normally takes about 30 minutes. Thomas and Rebecca were once again admiring the various sights they've passed by, some of them decorated with bright Christmas lights and other festive decorations, but something was clearly not right between the couple.

"How I wish you were here beside me enjoying the sights" they both said in unison.

Seven hours later, they've arrived at an inspection stop at Jackson yards. Thomas uncoupled from the rear of the train to have a refuel of coal and water while Raven and her faceless GEVO sister went to refuel as well. At the head end, Rebecca was dozing off trying to get some rest. Rachelle felt sorry for the West Country engine. Her cheeks had tear stains and she doesn't feel so well.

"Who can stand this sight. It's heart wrenching damn it!" Rachelle said to herself.

After the inspection, they set off once more, heading towards Fort Worth. They made good progress as they rocketed past the blazing deserts of Southern Texas. Rebecca wasn't used to such extreme heat and started to get flustered. She was now using more water than her tender can carry.

"W...why is it so freaking hot here?" she panted.

"We're basically in a desert, temperatures here can reach up to 40 degrees Celsius" Rachelle answered. The same can be said at the back, where Thomas' systems started to shut down after having no water in his tanks.

"Oh shit" he ranted, "Now I can't help y'all with the train!"

"Don't worry Thomas, we GEVOs got this" Raven said, increasing her engines revs. Thomas looked down at his buffers, feeling bad about himself. _Is this my punishment for treating Rebecca the way I did? _He sadly thought.


	5. Better Engine

_**December 23 1:30am CT**__  
_  
It's day 3 of the trip and UP intermodal S355 is undergoing its unloading of 42 well cars at an intermodal terminal in Fort Worth, TX. They had to stop at Dallas for a crew change, that's why they arrived 10 minutes late. The yard crew attached an additional 20 cars, totaling now to 63 cars. At the back of the train, Raven was itching Thomas to go up to the head end and talk to Rebecca.

"Aren't you going to talk to Rebecca and sort this out?" the GEVO inquired.

"Yeah but I got one slight problem" Thomas sighed, "I ran out of fuel and can't budge an inch"

"Don't worry" Raven smiled, "I'll shunt you towards the coal tower then you can see her"

The tank engine uncoupled from the last well car and Raven shunted him towards the tower. A while later, Thomas' bunker, extra tender, and water tanks were topped up.

"I'll leave you here since I have to get my sandboxes topped up" Raven said.

"Okay. See ya later!" Thomas blew his whistle in reply.

At the head end, Rachelle and Rebecca were dozing off for a while until their scheduled departure in 2 hours' time. Suddenly the latter heard her boyfriend's whistle from behind. "W..what, oh no" she groaned; her eyes were still closed at this moment.

"Please wake up Becca" Thomas pleased, in a whisper tone.

Rebecca pretended to be asleep by ignoring him. She was immediately startled when a passing freight train blew its horn. "AAHHH! Damn it!" she squealed.

Thomas shook his head in disbelief, "I knew you were just pretending"

Rebecca looked back at the blue tank engine in disgust, mainly because of the freight train a while ago. "Why are you here anyway?" she asked.

"I'm here to say sorry" Thomas started, knocking himself for saying the words he did.

"Well you better" Rebecca retorted, "It was all your fault we're in this bullshit!"

Thomas was fed up with Rebecca's nonsense. "PLEASE REBECCA JUST FUCKING LISTEN TO ME FOR DAMN ONCE!" he roared, hoping that Rachelle wouldn't wake up.

Rebecca didn't reply, she looked down on her buffers and felt bad for herself. It took almost 5 minutes before she said something.

"W..why do y..you k… on scolding every mistake I do?" she cried.

The blue engine sighed, "No Rebecca. It's not you, it's me who's always done shit things"

He paused for a moment then continued, "These past few days were really stressful for the two of us. One day, we left our home for an unknown place, then we got stuck into this train thinking we'd have a great time sightseeing but it turns out it made our nerves fried. Hell, I thought after our fight you already broke up with me!" Thomas finished, tears glistening in his eyes.

Rebecca was taken aback; the past few days she only thought of herself, and not how her boyfriend would be affected with her actions. "Oh Tommy, I'm really not worth yours to be keeping" she rasped, "Why do you still care for me despite my hostility? I haven't even asked you once if you can still stand my annoyance. Don't you get hurt for loving me after all this?"

Thomas wanted to face Rebecca but since the UP AC4400 is still asleep, he decided to shunt her at a siding then return her once they're done. Marty unlocked Rachelle's rear coupler; although he wanted to drive her to the siding, Thomas feared she might wake up.

"Don't go near that cab Marty!" he warned.

"Trust me Thomas. An engine asleep wouldn't feel moved when someone operates them manually" Marty replied. He climbed up the GE diesel's cab and slowly crawled her out of the track. He then reversed the 192 ton diesel onto the adjacent siding, still not awakening.

"You see Thomas" Marty retorted as he climbed down Rachelle's cab, "She didn't even flinch"

After a while of maneuvering, Thomas managed to face in front of Rebecca, who was still feeling down of herself.

"Where were we?" he asked himself, then continued. "Ah right that one"

He looked at Rebecca, still making that pouty face he doesn't want to see. "I'll admit, I did say a bunch of mean things to you during this trip. But please don't take it too personally; I only wanted what's the best for you and I'm sorry for everything these past days" Thomas started.

The West Country engine looked at him, yet didn't reply. "As for your question earlier of how am I able to withstand your rantings, its simply because I love you!" he added, "No, I'm not stupid. I still love you, regardless of the shit that you've put on me"

Rebecca looked at the blue tank engine in disbelief, "B..but I'm the stupid one. I shouldn't have been selfish and set you aside. It'll kill me to lose you Tommy, I wouldn't be able to handle it" she wailed.

Thomas puffed closer, coupling up to Rebecca's front. "You won't have to worry that, I ain't gonna leave" he whispered.

This made Rebecca felt warm in her firebox; those words that would assure her that everything between her and Thomas would be alright.

"You really made me a much better engine than I was before you came" she replied, with tears streaming down her face.

"I'm glad I did" Thomas said, then lunged forward to kiss his girlfriend. It only lasted a couple of minutes but to the both of them, if felt like the whole night. Their tongues danced together, with their lips locked up; it was ecstatic. After their session, it was Thomas who looked at Rebecca with a loving gaze.

"I don't care how petty our arguments would ever be, I still love you" he whispered.

"I love you too my Tommy" Rebecca replied, as she pressed her forehead against Thomas'. Little did they know, Rachelle heard everything while she was 'asleep'.

"It's a good thing they've forgiven each other" she muttered to herself, "Christmas is right around the corner"

Night turned into day, and Rebecca woke up to the sight of Thomas in front of her; they were travelling at 80mph. "Tommy, where are we?" she groaned, looking at the surrounding countryside.

Thomas looked at the scenery as well, "I don't know, love"

"We're nearing the Mexican border" Rachelle chimed in, "You two fell asleep when I departed so I let you do so"

Thomas blushed in embarrassment, "Oh sorry Rachelle. We weren't doing much help"

"Not to worry Thomas" the UP diesel chuckled, "There's another locomotive in front of me helping us out"

"How long til we reach Mexico City?" Rebecca added.

"Less than 24 hours" Rachelle replied.

As the train past the vast Texan countryside, the Southern couple smiled sadly; the scenery reminded them of Sodor's once majestic countryside that they pass every single day. They both know that Sodor would not look like this anymore but who knows, there can be some changes that might happen out of nowhere.


	6. Homesick Christmas

_**December 24 10:20am Mexico Local Time**__  
_  
After a grinded out 5 day run from NYC down here at Mexico City, Thomas and Rebecca wanted to rest at the sheds for the whole day. It's Christmas Eve and the pair wanted to rest first before they'd head out near the city to see some fireworks later the night. Instead of feeling jolly, Rebecca felt rather homesick this Christmas Eve.

"It doesn't feel the same" she ranted. "The festivities here are nice, but nothing beats home"

"Too right, love" Thomas agreed. A while later, Raven rolled by to have a chat with the two.

"How are you two holding up?" the GEVO inquired.

"My wheels still ache after all that travelling" Thomas started.

"Yes I know" Raven smiled, "Both of you weren't really used to an ultra-long haul trip like that"

Rebecca sighed in agreement, "Do you often spend Christmas here?"

"Depends on our route. But we've spent it here a couple of times" Raven replied. "Trust me, Christmas here in Mexico is over the top celebrations" One of the yard crews came up to Raven to have her radiator fans cleaned out so she left the couple once again.

While Thomas and Rebecca were sleeping, Alex received a call from an unknown number. "Hello? Who's this?" he replied.

"Alex! Thank goodness it's you; we need your help ASAP!" the caller said frantically.

"Who's this anyway?"

"It's me George, back on Sodor"

"What's wrong George?" Alex inquired.

"Railway Board inspectors came the other day. Said they're about to revoke our railway operations permits" George replied.

"Man, that's tough shit. I'm sorry I can't help you, even though I really want to" Alex sighed. The two had a somewhat heated exchange about Sodor's condition; afterwards he went back into the crew rest cabin. Raven overheard Alex's conversation and she can't help wondering how to help them.

_I really wanna help them in rebuilding Sodor back, that is if Thomas and Rebecca decide to leave. _She thought.

After a good 8 hour sleep, Alex came towards Rebecca as she woke up; Thomas left to get some coal.

"Good evening Alex, you're a bit uneasy tonight" the West Country engine noticed her driver's sudden change of mood.

"Yes I am" Alex sighed, then sat on Rebecca's buffer beam. "Sodor's rails are on its endgame now"

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked.

Alex then explained the call he had earlier with George, Mavis' driver. Rebecca felt even more homesick than ever; she badly wants to return but physically cannot, now that they're over a thousand kilometers from the next transatlantic port at the Panama Canal. Just then, Thomas woke up to the sight of his girlfriend panicking on how to return back to Sodor.

"Whoa, calm down my twinkie" he said, trying to get Rebecca's composure back.

After a moment of breathing exercises, Rebecca finally calmed down. "Tommy, Sodor Rail is about to close. No more railway there" she sighed.

"Shit" Thomas muttered, "I knew it would come to this, but so soon?"

"I wanna go back to Sodor" Rebecca said with a determined look on her eyes, "Whatever it takes, I'm not letting our home be gone in a snap because some fool of a controller is incompetent in managing it!"

"Me too love. But you do realize that we're basically on the other side of the ocean where Sodor is?" Thomas eyed his girlfriend. Rebecca realized this and started to think twice.

"Then come after Christmas, we're heading back home" she declared.

A while later, Raven and Rachelle came up to the couple.

"Wanna head downtown?" Rachelle started.

"You'll definitely wanna see the fireworks later tonight!" Raven added.

"Well, I do wanna see what Christmas looks like here" Thomas smiled. He looked at Rebecca, who was still deep in thought about heading home.

"Cheer up, my twinkie! We'll have a wonderful time here" he said, then gave a kiss to her cheek.

"I could sure use a different atmosphere" Rebecca sighed, but gave a smile back at Thomas.

The quartet of locomotives headed towards a stretch of track where they could see the Christmas festivities down the streets. If you look at any direction, every building and street was decorated with lights and garlands. They finally settled for a siding on the west side of the party, where there's a road crossing. Rachelle noticed Thomas and Rebecca were unusually quiet, now that it's Christmas Eve.

"You two must be thinking something serious, what's up?" she started.

"Nothing much" Rebecca replied, "Just a little homesick, that's all" Thomas knew that wasn't what Rebecca's supposed to say, but he didn't comment.

"I understand that" the AC44 smiled, "Just enjoy the night, you'll love it here"

It's already 8pm and the first show was under way. The streets filled with bands playing various Christmas carols and the lights across the area lit up, revealing a giant Christmas tree at the end from where the tracks take a curve. Rebecca loved the sights, although she was still imagining about the Christmas she's had on Sodor. Thomas was looking around the lights when he heard a faint chuffing noise, which turned out to be Rebecca leaving their space.

"Becca? Where you going love?" the E2 tank engine said.

"I'll just have some alone time, don't follow me I'll be back" she replied, with a sob-like sound on her voice and puffed away. Thomas was obviously worried for his girl; he doesn't want her to wander off too far.

"She'll be okay Thomas" Raven reassured. "She really is the type when she gets homesick, it's more intense"

"Too right Raven" Thomas agreed.

At the next track not too far from their viewing spot, Rebecca was sadly watching the lights dancing across the fence and the carolers singing from a distance. She can't help but reminisce of the last Christmas she spent on Sodor.__

_Flashback: last year's Christmas Eve at a siding on the Arlesburgh branch  
_  
**Rebecca's POV  
**  
"Why are we by the seaside?" I asked Thomas.

"You'll see" he smiled, "Just you wait"

A moment later, the coastal communities below from where we're sitting lit up with majestic lights and the skies lit up with fireworks. The lighthouse also lit up with colorful lights and snow started to fall.

"Now THIS is what I've been missing on?!" I wailed in excitement. Tommy simply nodded, and I just lost it and fangirled til no end.

"OMG OMG OMG! I'm speechless love, honestly" I screamed.

Suddenly, one of the fireworks spewed out a pattern of lights that at best resembled a mistletoe.

Tommy looked at it saying, "Oh look it's a mis…." That was when I crashed my lips into his, before he could finish. He gave in to me and we shared a passionate kiss like we've done a thousand times before. While we can hear the townspeople shouting 'Merry Christmas' below, Tommy and I blew our whistles together. After all the fireworks lit up and the villagers settled down, I parted from Tommy's lips, now gazing at him.

"Sorry love, you were saying?" I asked, teasing if he remembers what he was going to say.

"Huh? Oh damn it I forgot" Thomas ranted, causing me to giggle.

He looked at me again, "Anyway, Merry Christmas my sweet little twinkie!" he finished.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm way bigger than you!" I said, making him chuckle. He simply gave me another peck in the lips and we enjoyed the night much more than anyone else on the island.

_End Flashback._

Rebecca was sobbing quietly when she heard a wheesh of steam beside her.

"You really wanna go back, don't you?" Thomas said. The Bulleid didn't reply, she continued to sob her eyes out. Thomas turned around and was now face to face with his girlfriend.

"You could either cry your eyes out or you could spend Christmas with me, only the two of us here in a foreign land" Thomas coaxed.

"W…well, I guess spending it with you is better than just cry all night" Rebecca sniffed, resting her forehead against Thomas'.

"That's my Becca" he whispered and gave her a kiss. An hour later, the bell tower clanged it's massive bell, signaling that it's 12 midnight.

"Guess it's Christmas now huh" Thomas muttered.

"Yes, yes it is" Rebecca agreed, "It's nowhere as majestic as on Sodor's but with what's happened there lately, I'm not complaining"


	7. Run it Back

Back on Sodor, it became a different place just a week after Thomas and Rebecca left for good. Under Mr. Wilkins' leadership, the railway was poorly maintained, leading to a plethora of strikes, labor cuts, and closure of some businesses. Worse still, a new set of roads have been built crisscrossing the island. Trucks and buses took the various cargo and passenger services that have moved on from the rails. The only thing that keeps the NWR afloat is their quarry and harbor contracts. Some of the engines like Edward and Toby were put into indefinite storage and are now decommissioned. This leaves them shorthanded with the increase of goods coming in and out of Brendam and Knapford harbors. With two engines overseas and another two decommissioned, only eleven engines remain standing.

The day after Christmas at Knapford sheds, the engines met once again to talk about how to survive their ordeal.

"Another day, another grind to survive" Nia sighed.

"That accursed Wilkins, he's only our controller for just over a week and now we're in our endgame" James ranted. "Careful James, some of his goons might be hearing you" Duck retorted.

"I just wish someone, anyone would come back here and restore our former glory" Emily added. The others sighed in agreement; as if someone would return back to Sodor looking in shambles? While not active in the discussion, Mavis was listening to every single comment her friends have said about their situation. George was the one relaying this information to someone, to which the BR Class 04 has no clue as to who he's talking to.

"George, who's this person that you said will help us?" she inquired.

"He's a close friend of mine. I just hope he sends his aid ASAP" George replied. Mavis didn't bother to ask any further, but can't help wondering as to who the mystery help might be.

_If Thomas and Rebecca were still here, I'm sure they might've drove Wilkins and his group of imbeciles out of here. Thomas was the strong-willed one while Rebecca is a force to be reckoned._ She thought.

About 6000 kilometers southwest of Sodor, Alex, Marty, and Rachelle's driver Norris were discussing about Sodor's downfall. "That island came into existence all because of the NWR" Alex started.

"Without the railway, Sodor as a whole would see a significant drop of trade and tourism" Marty added.

"Man that sounds rough. The place you've called home, worked and lived your entire life there and all of a sudden it all came crashing down all because of one man" Norris gasped.

"I just wish we could do something about it" Marty said. A few minutes later, someone was calling on Alex's phone; it was George.

"Yeah what's up?" Alex answered.

"Y'all got a timeline when to return here?" George asked.

"Give us two-three weeks. Ships aren't fast you know" Alex replied.

"What's the plan when you get back here?"

"I'll explain later. I still haven't told the engines yet"

At the locomotive depot, Thomas and Rebecca told Rachelle and Raven their countless memories of the island they once called home. "Tell me more about your little love story!" Raven beamed.

Rebecca chuckled, "So the last good memory that I have of Sodor was the time I had to bring Oliver, Mavis, and Percy to Barrow"

"Yeah right" Thomas pouted, "And I missed out on all the fun because my stupid safety valve blew out!"

"Anyway" Rebecca continued, "The four of us went to see this new drive-in cinema. Movie itself was good but the real entertainment for me was when Mavis was really getting into the hang of making out with Percy and Oliver"

"Did you taught this Mavis how to make out?" Rachelle interrupted.

"A little bit. But that movie we've watched had a lot of sexy scenes that she wants to try out so she'd gone and done it" The three engines burst out in laughter.

"I still haven't heard Mavis' take on this" Thomas added.

"She actually told me to keep that a secret. Unfortunately for her, I don't"

The two UP diesels chuckled, "You really have an attitude Rebecca" Rachelle chimed in.

"I'm too blessed to have her" Thomas said, causing the West Country engine to get flustered again. Just then their drivers arrived.

"I've got some news for y'all" Alex announced as he appeared from the crew cabin.

"What is it?" Thomas asked.

"We're running it back, to Sodor" Alex replied. The Southern couple gasped; they don't even know how they'll return to Sodor, let alone go back for good.

"W..why are we going back? Wasn't the reason why we left in the first place was because of the mismanagement of idiot Wilkins?" Rebecca inquired.

"Yes Rebecca" Marty nodded, "But let Alex explain why we'll return"

Alex then explained his plan to the four engines. To make it short, the plan was basically return to Sodor, go on strike against Wilkins and if he retaliates, they'll use the Sudrian citizens as a driving force to get him ousted. Obviously that was assuming he still runs the railway. Thomas and Rebecca liked the idea of returning to their home but initiating a strike is a different story.

"When are we leaving?" Thomas asked.

"Tomorrow evening. The Panama Canal is already a day's journey from here so we can catch a ship there" Marty replied.

Raven and Rachelle felt sad that their friends were already leaving them. "It's been a pleasure meeting you two" the GEVO said, getting teary-eyed.

"We'll miss you both real bad" Rachelle added.

"Who said you two are going to be left behind?" Norris suddenly spoke up.

"What do you mean?" the AC44 raised an eyebrow.

"DJ and I decided that we're gonna need you two to join in their return to Sodor" her driver explained.

"Are you serious?!" Raven lit up, her sadness turned into excitement. Norris nodded. The two GE diesels blew their horns as loud as they can.

"Oh this is gonna get a whole lot fun" Rebecca smiled.

The next evening, the four engines set off towards the port of Panama, right near the entry point of the Panama Canal. Since they weren't pulling a train, they managed to reach the port in less than 12 hours. Alex talked to a dock manager and he managed to get the locomotives on a Liverpool bound container ship. Raven was the first one to be loaded; she wasn't too thrilled of being up 20 meters above ground level.

"Ahh! I hate heights!" she shuddered.

"Don't look down sis! Just stare at the sea around you" Rachelle replied.

"I must say, the sea looks wonderful from this view" Raven said.

After everyone has been loaded, it took another 3 hours before the ship finally left the docks. As the land sunk below the horizon, they were on open ocean. Rachelle and Raven were mesmerized at the waves the ship makes behind.

"Back at it again. This time, we're staying for good" Rebecca whispered to Thomas.

"Let's hope for the best, love" the blue tank engine replied, giving his girlfriend a peck on her cheek.

"What if he's still there?" the Bulleid engine felt anxious.

"Doesn't matter. We'll drive him out of Sodor even if I had to give up every single part of my body" Thomas declared. With that in mind, the couple stared at the vast unknown that they're currently in, wondering how to bring back the past Sodor.


	8. Shambles

_January 6, 2016  
_  
With the amount of backlash the NWR has been receiving from its clients and the railway board of Britain, Mr. Wilkins was forced to step down as railway director a few days before new year. His successor, Boris Mayward, was also not keen into restoring the NWR's former glory. Being a civil engineer, he wanted to build a network of highways and city roads that would replace the old unreliable railway that had been on Sodor for the past 100 or so years. When news spread about this, the island's residents weren't too thrilled of a highway replacing the rails. Mayward became the most hated man on Sodor since Wilkins; all the latter ever did was mismanage the company yet he never said anything about building roads to replace the rails. But unlike Wilkins, Mayward has government support in his plan to build the highways as he was popular within the UK; most importantly, he's a close family friend of the governor of Sodor. The remaining engines were also unamused with this as expected, but they were powerless to stop Mayward's decision to dismantle the rails.

"Now what do we do? He's got government support riding his arse!" Gordon ranted.

"That Boris really wants Sodor to turn the NWR into the North Western Highway System" Emily added.

Just then, they heard a group of demolition vehicles starting to dismantle the old rails and structures. "Alright guys, let's start here with Knapford, then make our way westwards" one of the foremen said. The engines blew their whistles and horns in unison in an attempt to stop the clearing operations.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Nia yelled.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid I can't do that" a deep Russian voice replied, it was Boris. The engines all gave him a death stare, which didn't matter to him.

"You can't take our home away from us. That's illegal!" Donald snared.

"Too bad scottie, I've already done that" Boris sniggered.

Diesel surged forward at Boris, "I'M GONNA SMASH YOUR SORRY ARSE YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Boris signaled one of the cranes to swing its wrecking ball onto the black shunter. The 15 ton ball smashed Diesel's side, causing him to topple over and leak diesel oil. The Class 08 was in terrible pain; Boris looked at him devilishly.

"Not so devious now are you engine?" he said, then turned to the others, "Anyone else wanna feel my welcome remarks?"

The others stayed silent. "Good. If we want us to be in good terms, y'all shut your mouths and let me do the change that Sodor desperately needs" Boris declared as he went back to where the demolition equipment were.

Gordon and James left to get a crane while the others all came to Diesel's side: his body was dented, his engine was dying on him and he felt useless now.

"Thanks for trying Diesel" Mavis sighed, "We're just too shorthanded to stand against him now"

"Don't …thank meee" Diesel coughed oil. "I was just trying my best to keep our rails"

At the port of Liverpool, Thomas, Rebecca, Raven, and Rachelle arrived uneventfully after two weeks of sailing. Suddenly, Marty's phone rang.

"Yes who's this?" he answered.

"Where the hell are you!" George frantically squealed, "We've got a major setback"

"What's up?" Marty asked, puzzled at his friend's statement. George then told Thomas' driver about Boris, the demolition of rails, etc.

"Shits gone crazy mate" Marty gasped.

"Please tell the others" George pleaded.

"Will do. Whatever it takes, we'll stop that Russian menace's carnage" Marty said then dropped the call. He climbed aboard Thomas' cab and lit up his fire.

"We're almost home right?" the blue E2 asked.

"Yes Thomas, we'll drive out those who seek to remove our rails" Marty declared. He then told DJ, Alex and Norris about their new threat on Sodor. A few hours later, the four engines were equipped for Sodor. Their drivers weren't taking any chances so they brought armor and weapons like steel bats and guns in case their meeting becomes war.

"Why are you so heavily armed?" Raven inquired, a bit nervous that DJ has an AK47 on his shoulder.

"For starters, the group we're dealing with has a lot of government backing, meaning they can easily bring in the police" DJ replied, sorting out the weapons inside the GEVO's cab. Once that was settled, they set off for Sodor. Marty texted George with this message: _'__We're heading there, armed and ready.'_

Back on Sodor, the people were also preparing to fight against Boris and his team of highway advocates. George spread the work from railwaymen to the common townsfolk. Majority of the mayors of the Sudrian towns objected to roads replacing the rails and decided to hold an island-wide strike against the Russian engineer once the four engines arrive at Vicarstown. At Arlesburgh, a demolition team was now dismantling the old Mid-Sodor railway yards and rails. Some people held demonstrations against the clearings but the riot police had been deployed and those violent demonstrators were arrested.

"WE OBJECT TO ROADS!" the demonstrators would blast at the demolition crews, who didn't mind and continued on their work.

The clearing lasted until night fall when the workers went home. Armed guards were now roaming around the area, using force to neutralize anyone who dared to trespass the clearing sites. The western part of the island felt like a prison, according to the residents. The line between Arlesburgh and Tidmouth had been blocked off from the eastern parts, making train travel there impossible.

_January 7 1am BST_  
The four engines are now resting at Crovan's Gate sheds. They can only go as far as Knapford since the western rail network had been cut off starting at Tidmouth. Alex was talking to the station master about the downfall of the NWR.

"To be honest, Wilkins never really threatened to replace the railways with highways" the station master told.

"So he just like mismanaged the railway when he was still here?" Alex inquired. The former nodded.

"But Alex, Boris is more powerful than you think" he added.

"Fuck him" Alex replied bluntly, "We Sudrians will unite as one to get rid of him. Whatever it takes"

At the sheds, Raven and Rachelle scanned the new environment. "It does look peaceful here. The night isn't so busy compared to the US" the AC44 observed.

"Even with all this bullshit, there are some things that can't be changed" Thomas added. After a small chat, the two UP diesels dozed off, leaving the Southern couple free to talk intimately once again.

"Can Sodor really count on us four to bring back the former glory it once had?" Rebecca asked, having second thoughts on her decision to return home.

"Well we're already here" Thomas replied, "And I would fight til my last bolt to bring back our home"

"I'm not too worried about that" the West Country engine said, "I'm more worried if they do something to you. I can't afford to lose you!"

Thomas sighed; his girl is overthinking again. "I won't go. I love you too much to let you go" he smiled, nuzzling her soft cheeks.

"I just want to bring back the joy that we had for this place" Rebecca whispered.

"That's our mission tomorrow. For now, my joy is you staring in front of me" the blue tank engine gazed, then gave Rebecca a passionate kiss; the last time they made out on Sodor was the night before they left for New York.


	9. All for the Land

_9am_

The faint rumble of demolition equipment echoes through the now barren Knapford station. All passenger trains have been suspended indefinitely and the only cargo contracts that keeps the NWR afloat are the various branch lines and the harbor lines. _It's a fight for survival on our own home._ The engines would often say. The once bustling station is now riddled with vandalisms and crumbling infrastructure. Another glum day for the engines of Sodor as they struggle with their goods work at the branch lines. Diesel had been sent to Vicarstown to get repaired, James and Mavis had to do back to back slate runs and the quarry workers are already on strike, Nia and Percy struggle with the shunting of heavy trains backing up, the others were busy doing the harbor runs; it was a dire situation for everyone left on Sodor. At the shunting yards, there came a sudden loud wheesh and a blaring of horns from a distance; neither Percy nor Nia could recognize the horns.

"The horns sound so deep and loud!" the orange tank engine noticed.

Since it was a bit foggy as the weather is at a light downpour, they couldn't make heads as who the engines are. A while later, Rachelle and Raven emerged from the fog cloud; their headlights shining upon the two shunters.

"Please don't bash us to bits!" Nia pleaded, thinking it could be Boris' henchmen.

"Correction. We'll bash that Boris into bits" Rachelle chuckled, switching off her lights.

"Who are you?" Percy asked, not sure if he's scared or confused.

"I'm Rachelle. This is Raven" the AC44 introduced herself and the GEVO.

"I'm Nia" the Kenyan engine introduced.

"And I'm Percy" the green shunter added.

"We're here to help you guys with your problem of this Boris" Raven announced.

"Who brought you two here? Surely you wouldn't know about Sodor if y'all from America" Nia shrugged; she knew the two diesels were from the USA when she saw Raven's 'Building America' livery with the US flag.

"It's quite the story" Raven replied, "One involving a pair of engines you are very close with"

At Ffarquhar, James was already exhausted while Mavis' engine overheated. Eric is on his way to fill in for Mavis as the others were stuck with their harbor trains.

"We could surely need some old hand help around here" the Class 04 sighed.

"Too right. I'm knackered" James agreed.

"Well, if we all unite we wouldn't feel these hardships anymore" a familiar voice replied.

The red engine jumped at the awfully familiar voice that resembled Thomas'. "No! It can't be!" James gasped. "You can't go back here!"

"Don't worry James, we won't leave y'all again" another voice echoed from the fog, this time it resembled Rebecca's.

"I think I'm hearing things again" the mixed traffic engine shuddered.

"Are you two really here?" Mavis chimed in. She looked at the other side of the yard and there she saw Thomas and Rebecca idling by the coal hopper.

"HOLY SHIT!" the quarry shunter gasped, "H..h..how?!"

"We've heard about the hardships y'all been through so we thought we'd run it back" Thomas smiled.

"And we brought some company with us" Rebecca added, "Nia and Percy have already met them" The two branch line engines still can't believe that their friends returned.

"Let's head back to Knapford and catch up with the others" James suggested.

"I could use a bit of push here" Mavis pouted, referring to her overheated engine.

"I got you girl" Rebecca beamed, backing up towards the Class 04's front. The four engines made their way to Knapford uneventfully. Thomas and Rebecca couldn't believe how the disrepair of the railway didn't reflect on the overall environment of Sodor.

"From the outside, it doesn't look like there's something wrong" James started, "I mean the fields are intact, the stations are here, and people still live in these parts of the line"

"It's the insider story that's the more dark and glum" Mavis added.

The group arrived at Knapford sheds where Nia, Percy, and the UP diesels were chatting. The former pair were understandably shocked when they saw their friends return. While the engines were catching up with their lives, their drivers were planning on how to strike Boris.

"I've contacted a bunch of our old runners like Henry and some of the Euro engines" George started.

"So how are we gonna pull this off?" DJ asked.

"Plan A: We would conduct a strike at Boris and his crew. His office is at Arlesburgh so we're going there. We're gonna bring as many demonstrators as we can, even it means we have to bring their mayors with us" George replied.

"And if that doesn't work? Surely he might have an armed group or the police by his side" Alex retorted.

"Then plan B: we use force, equip the engines with ram plows and we would have to be armed"

"Well we got the armed part good" Norris broke in. "Also if we're gonna be armed, we need to have minimal civilian casualties"

"How about we straight up face him using our engines versus his demolition equipment, we're still going to be armed as they might be armed as well" Marty suggested.

"He did use his wrecking backhoe to severely damage Diesel, so this is not only to avenge him but for Sodor" George agreed.

"But shouldn't we also overthrow the governor? After all you said he is in full support of Boris" Alex added.

"We could deal Boris by force then strike against the governor after, unless he's a hard head" Nia's driver Horace implied. The other crews liked the idea.

"Can you count me in too?" a deep voice emerged from the other side of the room. The crews were shocked as right there standing at the door was none other than the retired controller of the NWR, Sir Steven Topham Hatt.

"I liked your ideas and now is the time that we act together as one to overthrow Boris and our incompetent governor" he boomed. Everyone else applauded TFC's 'speech'; he was the motivation they so desperately need in this time of hardships.

"I guess we'll declare war on Boris then" Marty shrugged. TFC nodded.

Night had cast over Sodor and the harbor crew of Emily, Gordon, the Scottish twins, Duck, and Rosie came back home to Knapford surprised to see Thomas, Rebecca, and the GE diesels on their home. They shared their 'welcome back' greetings and told the four about how Sodor came downhill after they left.

"Then this guy Wilkins replaced TFC and it was never the same again" Rosie told.

"It was shocking at first that you two left" Donald added.

"But at least you came back and didn't suffer like the remainder of us; not to mention Edward and Toby had it worse than us" Douglas finished.

"Where are they anyway?" Rebecca piped.

"Over at Wellsworth, they were put into indefinite storage" Gordon replied.

Emily then turned to the UP diesels, "How exactly did Thomas and Rebecca convince you two to join them here?"

"Oh my, it's quite a long story" Rachelle chuckled.

"I'm afraid that story will have to wait Emily. For now we've got work to do" the deep voice of TFC echoed towards the engines. Everyone rejoiced as they haven't seen him since he retired over a month ago.

"What do you mean sir?" James asked.

"Tomorrow, we Sudrian engines and citizens will stand as one to oust our governor and Boris Mayward" TFC declared.

"But how will we fight him? He's got armed cronies all over his crews!" Emily retorted.

"For that, y'all gonna need some armaments. Bring them in!" TFC said. A long train of ammunition vans, railguns and flatbeds loaded with modified ram plows emerged, being delivered by Frankie and Hurricane.

"F…f..Frankie?!" James stuttered, surprised by the steelworks diesel's presence. "What are you doing here?"

"One of your drivers ordered these weapons for us to fabricate" Frankie smiled.

"We'd love to join y'all on your ousting plot, but sadly our work goes first" Hurricane added. With that, the two steelworks engines left.

"Who even ordered that much weapons anyway?" Rosie gasped. Alex, Marty, Norris, and DJ knew exactly who it was so they pushed George up front; this caused Mavis to go into shock. George then explained his undercover plans, his involvement in bringing Thomas and Rebecca home, among other things.

"How could I not know all about this?!" Mavis demanded. George was speechless, but Mavis understood his case.

"After all this, I'd say George should be our new controller" the Class 04 declared. The engines blew their whistles and horns in agreement.

"For Sodor!" George led out a battle cry.

"SODOR!" the engines responded.


	10. Assemble

_January 8 10am  
_  
The engines have been fitted with their respective armaments. The larger engines like Rachelle, Gordon, and Eric would be fitted with the ram plows, designed to overturn any barriers and heavy equipment. The smaller engines like Thomas and Mavis would be bringing the railguns, but that would be a last resort in case the plows didn't work. Still, they can't help thinking that backup will arrive, one way or another.

"Are you ready love?" Thomas turned to Rebecca, who was having her plow fitted.

"I feel nervous yet so proud" the West Country engine replied, "You're trying to rid of someone threatening to take your home away at the same time the people are counting on us"

"I'm also a bit scared, for you, for us" Thomas pouted.

"Let that fear be your fuel to become stronger later on" Rebecca enlightened, giving him a cheek peck.

"I'm just worried that you might get hurt by Boris and I won't let that happen" the E2 engine sighed.

"It's a small sacrifice for our island Tommy" Rebecca smiled, "We will liberate the NWR and Sodor from the tyrants that seek to exploit our home"

The blue tank engine was impressed at his girlfriend's steely determination, a trait that he hasn't seen in her even before they became a couple. The engines and demonstrators made their way towards Arlesburgh, where the station, the old MSR transfer yards, and a great deal of its rails were dismantled. Some road graders were already smoothing out the old railbed and concrete mixer trucks are already waiting to lay the foundations once it went smooth. The only thing separating the rails and the road construction is a series of buffers and barbed wire fences. Riot police are stationed 500m ahead of the barriers, providing a buffer zone in between.

"SAVE THE RAILS! OUT WITH THE GOV!" the engines and demonstrators blasted at the road construction crews.

"BORIS SUCKS! OUT WITH HIM!" another group would also blast out. The riot police are now on defense as some of the rebels were forcing their way into the site to confront Boris, pushing them out of the way. Raven blew her horn as loud as she can, trying to lure Boris out.

"Show yourself you Russian piece of shit!" she yelled.

A while later, the Russian engineer stepped out from his container van office, standing on top of a road grader. "Well well well. If it isn't the engines of Sodor and their rail fans" he blurted.

"You can't get away with your inter-island highway!" Thomas shot back.

"I'm afraid you're too late" Boris replied slyly. "You see, my crew have just finished clearing the old rotting Mid Sodor rail line and are about to commence road construction" TFC stepped out of Rachelle's cab and confronted the Russian.

"HOW IN HELL DID THE GOVERNOR AGREE TO THIS?! I USED TO RUN THIS RAILWAY AND YOU BLEW IT TO HELL!" he boomed.

"Oh so you're the legendary Sir Topham Hatt, the most well respected figure on Sodor's railway" Boris chuckled.

"I ain't in the mood for your antics Ruskie" TFC shot back.

"Of course. You see, I'm a family friend of the governor here and since that Horace Wilkins was incompetent with his management of the railway, I was called to dismantle the rails and build a brand new highway system crisscrossing the island. Roads are more efficient nowadays compared to trains" Boris said his testimony.

"At least Wilkins admits he's done a shit job. Unlike you who only seeks to take away what is rightfully Sodor's" TFC retorted.

"I'm only doing what I think is right for our island Steve" a voice said, it was the governor of Sodor.

TFC gave him a death stare, "My family trusted you, I trusted you! How can you break ties with us?!"

"Nothing personal Steve" the governor replied, "It's just business"

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS BULLSHIT!" TFC rumbled, causing some of the engines to startle.

"I'm sorry man, but it's already begun. NWR will bow down to the new highways we're about to have here" the governor shrugged as he disappeared behind the construction equipment.

Boris cocked out a pistol and pointed it at TFC "Now you slowly back off with all your engines or I'll make sure you'll be met with blood and fire" he demanded. The heavy equipment crews all stood guard using their machineries and the riot police are now authorized to use lethal force.

_Cue into Endgame entrance song. at 1:21_

TFC looked at his engines; they were clearly overmatched by the sheer number of Boris' cronies. "So Hatt, back off or die?" Boris eyed at him devilishly.

"WE WILL FIGHT!" someone from behind the engines replied.

George looked back and saw a multitude of engines steam and diesel, ready to fight for the railway they considered as paradise. These engines include Frieda, Gina, Ashima, Scott, Henry, the Sudrian Class 08s like Paxton, the former harbor engines like Salty, even Diesel 10 was there to assist. Their crews were also armed, ready to die for the sake of the island. They also brought in military personnel from the now decommissioned Fort Sudrian Platoon, now a part of the Royal Army. Boris looked at disbelief at how much help the Sudrians have, he was now outnumbered.

"Sodor" Rebecca declared, paused for a moment then said. "Assemble"

All the engines, demonstrators and crews faced off against Boris' henchmen, crew, and the police. "FIRE!" both sides yelled as shots have been exchanged. The heavy equipment crews drove their backhoes, loaders, trucks and bulldozers towards the engines. Rebecca and Raven charged towards them, overturning the machines that crossed the rails with their ram plows. Those civilians who were part of the demonstration were fled out of the main battle zone.

"EAT LEAD RUSKIE!" DJ and Norris said as they shot back at the armed guards. One of Boris' cronies brought out a tank to fire back at the engines.

"FIRE!" Boris ordered and the tank fired a shell towards Rosie, Eric, and Donald. The impact caused the three to suffer severe damage and derailed.

"OUCH!" they all groaned. Thomas fired an artillery shell right where Boris' office was while Mavis, Nia and James fired rounds at the bulldozers plowing the rails. The army advanced towards the barbed wire fence as Gordon, Rebecca and Rachelle try to break into the fence and barriers. After just a few hours of fighting, only a handful of Boris' crew was still alive and a few machines still working. In the Sudrian side, some of the engines sustained damage and were sent to the works immediately while their crews are either dead or injured.

"We still have Boris to deal with!" Rebecca said, finally breaking through the blockade.

Thomas and James lit up their railguns and rained shells down on Boris' territory. All their equipment have been destroyed and the crews were hiding for their lives. There's one thing that they haven't destroyed: Boris' tank.

"Shit!" Mavis gasped.

"What is it Mavis?" Thomas asked.

"That confounded tank, it's still working!" the quarry diesel replied. Rebecca and Rachelle backed up, aiming for the tank and ramming it upside down.

"Who brings a fucking tank to a road construction?" the AC44 asked.

"Search me girl, but one thing's for sure: we need to destroy it!" Rebecca replied.

Boris popped out of the tank with a cocky look on his face, "Any last words before you all DIE?!"

"Actually I do" Rebecca snared, a devilish look on her face.

Thomas was worried, "Whatever you're planning Rebecca, don't do it!" The other crews shot back at the tank but to no avail.

"FOR SODOR!" Rebecca cried. She charged at the tank as fast as she could while Boris fired a shell right at her. Everything went so fast that all they heard is a loud explosion coming from where Rebecca was to hit the tank; she and the latter were nowhere to be seen.

"REBECCA!" Thomas wailed, "NOOOOO!"


	11. Together Forever

The fighting had already concluded and Boris has been killed. As the dust cleared, they saw a derailed and battered Rebecca, lying on one side. Her ram plow acted as a deflector when Boris fired the tank's shell. This caused the shell to hit at the tank, effectively destroying it and Boris inside. Unfortunately, the shockwave of the blast caused the West Country engine to bore its brunt of the force. The shell of the tank had the force equivalent to 200kg of TNT.

"Wake up Rebecca!" Thomas wailed at his girlfriend's seemingly lifeless body.

Her face was swollen, her streamlined boiler casing had been pierced and dented, her bright yellow paintwork had been burnt from the blast and her wheels, brake rods, and pistons have been destroyed. There was another body right beside her, it belonged to Alex. Marty climbed down from Thomas' cab and examined Alex's body. Being a former coroner, he was able to examine Alex's cause of death and sure enough, it was due to shock and third degree burns.

"Yup, he's gone alright" Marty said, pertaining to Alex.

He also found Boris' corpse inside the now burning tank, or rather what's left of it. The shell was so powerful that it pierced through the tank's 6 inch steel plated armor and killed the Russian.

"Rebecca did sacrifice herself, she killed Boris" Marty finished.

In the end, a total of 130 people lost their lives on both parties, with another 200 injured. While the demonstrators not involved in the fight head up towards the governor's office and demanded him to step down, the engines quickly took their injured colleagues to the works and respective hospitals. Only Thomas, Rachelle, and James remain to check on Rebecca's salvage. Mobile cranes were used to lift the 86 ton West Country engine onto a lowboy railcar. She was still unconscious but according to the recovery workers, most of her internal workings are fine but damaged; an indication that she may still be alive. As James hauled Rebecca to the steamworks, Thomas was bawling in pain.

"S..she shouldn't h..have gone for the tank!" he whimpered.

"But Thomas, if it wasn't for her sacrifice, we wouldn't have won" Rachelle coaxed.

"I..I know that Rachelle" Thomas stuttered, still sobbing, "B…but I..I can't live without her! I don't want her to get scrapped!"

"Come in front of me" the AC44 whispered.

"Why?" the blue tank engine replied, confused at her request.

"Just do it" Rachelle responded. Thomas switched tracks and headed up to Rachelle's front.

"I know you are afraid that Rebecca might not come back to you, but in my experience, you shouldn't lose hope when there's even a slight sliver of it" she echoed.

"When your love was scrapped from that accident you said he had, did you also hope that he'll come back to you?" Thomas asked, pertaining to her ex-lover.

Rachelle gulped, trying hard not to tear up recalling that incident. It was a long story but she told Thomas that when her boyfriend was sent to a works near her sheds, she visited him every chance she's got until sadly a few weeks after his accident, despite the engine rebuild he didn't come back to life again. She hoped that the best would happen, yet it never did.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Rachelle" Thomas sighed.

"Don't be. No one's at fault when he crashed" the UP diesel smirked.

"Can you stay with me until Rebecca's fixed?" the E2 inquired.

Rachelle blushed at his request but welcomed it nonetheless. "Of course! I will admit I had feelings for you at one point. So I would love to be by your side in your suffering times" she admitted.

Thomas rolled his eyes jokingly, "What the hell did I ever do to become a chick magnet?"

"Search me" Rachelle blushed, "But like Rebecca said to me, you're very cute and helpful too"

At the steamworks, Rebecca's damaged parts have been removed. Since her streamlining casing couldn't be removed by sections, her whole casing had to be replaced, revealing a large boiler riddled with a maze of pipes. Her tender was sent to the back shop for a rebuild. Raven and Gordon were watching her repairs, as well as the other injured engines there like Rosie, Donald, Eric, Gina, Nia, and Frieda.

"How're y'all feeling?" the blue A0 asked.

"I've been better, thanks" Gina replied.

"I hope Rebecca will pull through. Thomas would be heartbroken if she died" Rosie sighed.

"Don't say that she'll die Rosie!" Donald retorted, "I don't want him to experience what Dougie did back when Lily got killed"

"Regardless, I think he should also prepare for the worst" Raven said glumly.

"But until there's hope, think positive" Eric chimed in. The other engines can only agree to the V3's statement.

Over the course of six weeks, Thomas visited the steamworks every chance he's got. The governor had finally been overthrown and repairs took place on the Arlesburgh line. The new controller, Jesse S. Irvine, great-grandson of the late Sodor Rail controller Johnathan Starr, set into work the rebuilding of the town of Arlesburgh and the MSR conversion into standard gauge up to Arlesdale. As for the governor, people were actually pushing for TFC to run but he declined; ultimately the vice governor became the new head of Sodor and is keen to upgrade the NWR to also add electrification on the main line.

One day, Thomas and Mavis were assigned to bring sleepers to the Arlesdale extension.

"I can't believe the progress they've made in just six weeks" the tank engine started.

"No more transfer yards, just a smooth stretch up to the various communities we're never able to touch" Mavis added.

After unloading their load, Thomas had to take his midday service to Ffarquhar while Mavis stayed behind. As he approached Knapford station, he saw something yellow sticking out of an express train.

"It couldn't be Rachelle since she doesn't pull coaches but…" Thomas wondered then realized it could be someone else. He puffed alongside the waiting express train and was shocked to see the NWR logo on its tender and the number 22 on its cab: "It's you" he whispered to himself.

Meanwhile, Rebecca was waiting for her new driver Blake to finish his paperwork. "I wanted you to see me, love. I'll be here to stay and yours for life" she also spoke to herself. "I love you, til my last puff of steam" she sighed, with someone also saying that in unison with her. Rebecca was stunned, the voice matched exactly like Thomas'. She looked to her right and found her answer; she smiled so wide her faceplate could've split.

"I knew you'll be back for me" Thomas gazed at his girl lovingly.

"I'm a tough cookie to crack Tommy!" the West Country engine laughed.

"Indeed you are" her boyfriend agreed, "Rachelle was right, despite the outcome I never lost hope in you. And here you are, right beside me and that's what matters"

Rebecca's guard blew his whistle before she could say anything back to Thomas. Instead she whistled loudly as she departed.

"Love you my Southern tankie!" she proudly said.

Thomas blew his whistle in reply. "I'm real lucky with that engine" he happily sighs.

The rest of the day was uneventful as the engines of Sodor did their best in their reborn lines. They haven't felt this much joy in a very long time. When night came, Thomas and Rebecca spent time at their 'love spot' by the windmill past Elsbridge station.

"Who would've thought in a span of three months, our controller retires, we get to go to a foreign land, meet new friends along the way, and fight for our home?" the E2 recalled.

"Not as much as when I first got here and our first moment together" Rebecca replied, with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"I do miss Alex though, he was a no-nonsense driver yet a chill guy off duty" Thomas said, reminiscing his girl's late driver.

"Me too love" she agreed, trying her best not to cry. "He and I have a sibling like relationship and I loved him til his final moments"

Thomas inched closer to Rebecca, his buffers touching hers. He looked at their buffers, trying to recall what he wants to say.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, "I forgot what I was supposed to say"

"No need for that now Tommy" the Bulleid engine gazed at his lips, "I surely do miss them lips, whatcha say?"

"Please" Thomas pleaded as their lips crashed into one another.

They haven't had a proper make out session since Christmas in Mexico and the feeling of love, ecstasy, and relief fluttered inside their smokeboxes. After their session, Rebecca leaned on Thomas' forehead.

"No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you my sweet twinkie" the latter said.

"Ups and downs, happy or sad moments. It's you and me til our end" Rebecca replied. The two Southern engines closed their eyes as they said "I love you my Southern half" to one another. Unknown to them, a certain quarry shunter was watching their blissful moment, this time she was happy for her best friend.

"He deserves to be happy. That alone makes me happy as much" Mavis sighed. All was at peace on Sodor, knowing that rails would always trump over roads on this island.


End file.
